V School of Young Scientists on Synchrotron Methods in Materials Science is being held at NSU

The 5th School for Young Scientists on Synchrotron Methods in Materials Science is taking place in Akademgorodok from October 18 to 23. This year, the School’s events are organized at three venues: the House of Scientists of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk State University (NSU), and the Core Research Center “SKIF.” They bring together over 100 young researchers, more than a third of whom come from other cities. The Novosibirsk region is represented by students, graduate students, and research staff from NSU, the “SKIF” Core Research Center, and SB RAS institutes. Additionally, participants from Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, Kurchatov Institute, A.V. Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography, National University of Science and Technology MISIS, the Federal Research Center

— The 5th School for Young Scientists on Synchrotron Research Methods in Materials Science is significantly different from previous ones. Previously, it was held as a satellite event of a large conference on the use of synchrotron radiation in the study of various materials. This year, the International Conference “Synchrotron Radiation: Science, Knowledge, Innovations, Future” (SKIF-2026) is taking place in Akademgorodok. Last year, the School and the conference were held sequentially, but now they are held concurrently. Another difference in this year’s School is that the venues have changed; last year, all events were held at NSU. This year, each day is held at a new location. The variety of events remains. It still includes lectures, master classes, participant presentations, and excursions. Moreover, the content and sometimes the quantity change each year. Master classes are especially popular among young scientists, so sometimes we keep them with some modifications. This year, the School’s program was supplemented with an interesting event — an excursion to the SKIF Core Facility., — said a research associate at the Center for X-ray and Synchrotron Research (CXSR) of NSU, senior research associate at the CCP “SKIF” Kristina Schefer.

The scientific program of the School for Young Scientists includes plenary lectures, master classes, oral and poster presentations on three topics: “Diagnostic methods for the composition and structure of functional materials using X-ray, including synchrotron, radiation,” “Hardware and software support for synchrotron and neutron studies,” and “Comprehensive studies of the structure and properties of materials using diffraction and spectroscopic methods.”

At the opening of the School on October 19, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Physical Methods for Solid State Research at the Physics Faculty of NSU, Deputy Dean of the NSU Physics Faculty Sergey Tsybulya noted that this event received certain recognition in the scientific community.

— The school for young scientists on synchrotron research methods in materials science was conceived by its initiators as an event aimed at forming a community of potential users around the CCP “SKIF” and primarily addressed to young scientists — students, master’s students, and postgraduates who will come to this unique facility with their tasks and topics for final qualification and later research works. Accordingly, we strive to invite top specialists as lecturers and workshop organizers who can provide them with new unique knowledge, tell them about new approaches in research work, and the fundamental principles of the methods applied in synchrotron diagnostics., — said Sergey Tsybulya.

The plenary lecture by Doctor of Chemical Sciences, RAS Professor, Head of the Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Director of the United Institute of Chemical Research of the Patrice Lumumba Russian University of Peoples’ Friendship (RUDN), Viktor Khrustalev, titled “Development and New Opportunities of the X-ray Structural Analysis Method in the 21st Century,” aroused great interest among the School participants. Viktor Khrustalev is one of the leading specialists in the field of crystal chemistry and X-ray diffraction methods, authoring about a thousand works, 5 monographs, 6 Russian patents. In 2023, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation awarded the scientist the title of Honored Worker of Science and High Technologies of the Russian Federation.

Viktor Khrustalev emphasized that he is directly connected with the CCP “SKIF” and takes every opportunity to visit this facility, discuss the current situation and potential issues. He aimed to make this lecture popular science and managed to surprise and even shock the audience with data obtained at the synchrotron station at the Kurchatov Institute. Equally interesting and informative for young scientists were the plenary lectures of the Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Petra Konareva (Kurchatov Institute NRC) “Study of the structure of disordered systems by the method of small-angle X-ray scattering” and Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Alexandra Triguba (Kurchatov Institute NRC) “Study of local atomic and electronic structure by X-ray absorption spectroscopy methods.”

The second day of the School’s work started at NSU with a lecture by a Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Sergey Tsybuli “Methods of comprehensive analysis in radiography: areas of application and limitations,” followed by presentations by young scientists. The program concluded with master classes on “Processing of experimental data obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,” “The ATSAS software package for analyzing small-angle scattering data from isotropic disordered systems,” “Determination of local atomic environment parameters from EXAFS spectra,” and “Investigation of the structure of 1D disordered crystals using X-ray diffraction with the XD1DD software,” conducted by a candidate of chemical sciences Maksim Panafidin (TsKP “SKIF”), Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Petr Konarev (Kurchatov Institute NRC), Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Aleksandr Trigub (NRC “Kurchatov Institute”), as well as candidates of physical and mathematical sciences Svetlana Cherepanova and Dmitry Yatsenko (Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences).

Today, October 21, the School’s work continues at the CKP “SKIF.” About 20 more reports will be heard here, and the event program will conclude with the traditional summing up and a tour of the Siberian Ring Photon Source stations, during which young scientists will get acquainted with the infrastructure of the complex, consisting of 34 buildings and structures, see the linear accelerator and storage ring, and visit the experimental stations that have already been put into operation.